Sliding and swinging grain and car door construction



April 16, 1929. w. L. OFFICER 1,709,278

SLIDING AND SWINGING GRAIN AND CARDOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. a, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 16, 1929. w. OFFICER 1,709,278

SLIDING AND SWINGING GRAIN AND CAR DOOR CQNSTRUGTIQN Filed Aug. 8, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jigs 7 JvzuenZn:

April 16, 1929. w. L. OFFICER 1,709,278

SLIDING ANII SWINGING GRAIN AND CAR DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 8, 192'? 4 Shets-Sheet 3 I i l w o o 10* I c o J9 J9 19 18 .19 k {l April 16, 1929. w. L. CFFIC'ER SLIDING AND SWINGING,GRAIN AND CAR DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 8, 192'? 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Apr. 16, 1929.

WYMAN'L. OFFICER, OF WARREN, MINNESOTA.

SLIDING AN D SWINGING GRAIN AND CAR DOOR CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed August a, 1927. serial No. 211,507.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a door for railway-freight cars that will also serve the purpose of the supplemental inside doorthat now has to be used when a car is loaded withv grain and other bulk commodities.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved threshold plate. v

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved means for mounting and sealing adoor of this type.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of which Figure 1 is an inside elevation of a car door incorporating improvements constructed according to my invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; V

Figure 3 is an outside the door; o

Figure iis an enlarged sectional view of Figure 2 taken on the plane indicated by the line 44 of Figure 1, looking in the direcelevational view of tion indicated by the arrows; I

. Figure 5 1s a sectional view of the thresh- Figure 6 is an outside elevation of sections 6 and 7 showing the upper part of the doorway closed and sealed by them;

Figure-7 is a vertical sectional view taken through the door; e

FigureS is a sectional view showing the upper section opened and the other sections in partly opened position;

Figure 9 is a similar view showing the entire door in opened position;

Figure 10 1s a vertical sectlonal View taken through the door with some parts omitted, showing section 7 lifted up into its first position in opening it; Figure 11 is a perspective view of an upper corner of the lower door section; b v I Figure 12 is a perspective view of plates 22 taken on the plane indicated by the line 12-12 of Figure 2,- looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and

9 secured to the opposing faces of the door view of the upper posts 10.

The door section 5 is hingedly mounted at its upper edge to the cross beam 11, whereby to be swung up against the roof of the car when the door is to be opened. The middle section 6 is overlapped at its upper edge by an inset flange or lip 12 provided on the lower edge of section 5 whereby a tight joint will be made when the door is closed. This section is disposed in coplanar relation with sections 5 and 7 and its lower edge has an inset flange or lip 13 which overhangs the upper edge of section 7 and provides a tight joint between these sections. The central and lower sections are connected together by hinges 14. These-hinges each include vertical strap portions 15 riveted to the inner face of section 6, saids'trap portions at their lower ends carrying integrally projecting pins which enter eyes'16 provided in cars struck from hinge plates 17 secured to the lower sec-v tlOIl;

The door-section 7 is seatedwhen in closed position upon the upper portion of an angular plate 18. The lower portion of this plate is provided with spaced lugs 19 for a reinforced lip-or flange 20 provided on the lower outer face of section 7 to engage behind when the door is closed to hold this section snugly against the upper portion of said plate when there is pressure against the door. A slot 'or depression 21 is provided in the lower portion of said plate large enough to get the point of the ordinary wrecking bar under said lip for starting the door when there is pressure against it.

The inner faces of door posts 10 areprovided with angular rabbets. The outer portion of these rabbets is for flanges 8 to engage in when the door is closed and the inner portion is for a part of angular plates 22 to engage over to provide especially the lowerportion of slots 23 for pins 24 to slide in for guiding this section in opening and closing it. The upper ends of said slots terminate in involute hooks or seats to provide a means for housing said pins when the door is raised as seen in Figures 8, 9 and 10.

The door section 5 which is arranged in coplanar relation with the other sections when they are closed isequipped with hinges 26. These hinges each include vertical strap portions 27' riveted or otherwise secured to the inner face of section 5, said strap portions at their upper ends being pivotally mounted at. 28 between cars 29 struck from hinge plates 30 secured to the inner face of beam 11, and have angular portions 31' resting on said beam to take the strain off the means that connects the hinges to it. The eyes in said cars 29 are made a trifle oblong and the hinges so adjusted that when the door is closed section 5 will rest firmly on section 6 and make a tight joint between these sections,

On the outer face of section 5 I provide a,

button 32, carrying an outstanding flange 33 to provide'a means for turning it, which is pivotally mounted to said door section and the center hinge leaf at 34 to be turned down over section 6 to hold these sections snugly together when there is pressure against the door.

On the outside of the ear I provide a means for actuating section 5, which consists of a hook 35 secured to a chain 36 that extends upwardly through a crimped strap 37 to the top of beam 11, and through a sort of a square trough 38 set into the'beam to the inside of the car where a link on this end of the chain is connected to lugs 39 provided on a mounting plate 40 by a rivet 41. Said trough carries a lip on each end of it that projects down over beam 11 for fastening it to the beam.

' Section 7 is finally raised by a chain'42 that runs over pulleys 43, 44 and 45 secured to the roof of the car, and carries hooks 46 and 47 and rings 48 and 49. The function ofthese parts will be more fully described later.

The door is provided with a sealing device 50, which consists of an angular plate. 51 secured to the door post 10 in the usual manner 1 carrying two staples in spaced and parallel relation with eachother. A triangular pin 52 having a slot in two of its angles is mount ed to the plate by one of the staples, and a hasp 53 engages over the other. A chain 54 issuitably secured to the hasp and extends upwardly through a crimped strap 55 to the top of beam 11, andthrough a trough 56 similar to the one described on the other side of the doorway to the inside of the car where it is attached to one end of a threaded bolt 57. The other end of the bolt is then connected to lugs 58 providedon a rock arm 59 by a nut 60 placed on the bolt between the lugs. The respective rock arm 59 has an angular latch pin 61 at its outer end that is turned into slot 62 provided in plate 9 for sealing the door. For latching the other side of this section, I use a sliding catch or bolt 63 and provide an aperture 64 in plate 9 to receive its pin when the'door is closed.

Section 6 is provided with bolts 65 and apertures 66 for latching it the same as the one described onv section 5. These bolts not only serve the purpose of latches, but they also prevent this scctionfrom working up. Said bolts on both sections are each provided with a slot 67 for inserting a seal, whereby the door may be sealed by the bolt on section 5 in cases of emergency, and on section 6 when it is closed in themanner shown in Figure 6.

In loading cars with lumber, barrels, etc, sect-ion 5 may be leftopen as seen in Figure 8 and the upper part of the doorway-closed by sliding sections 6 and 7 up to the top of it and latching them there with bolts 65 turned into slots 68 provided in plates 9.near the top of the doorway, and sealed with a seal 69 as shown in Figured 1 To open the door seal 70 is'broken, the sealing pin 52 and hasp 53 detached from the sealing staple, latches 61, 63 and 65 disconnected from plates 9, and button 32 turned off section 6. With one hand hook 35 is grasped and pullcddown over angular strap 71 while with the other section 5 is pushed inwardly and upwardly. Section 7 is then grasped by handle 72, subsequent to folding section 6 back over it, and lifted up into seats 25 where the bottom of it is swung into'the car and hook 47 attached to handle 73 as seenin Figure 8. Then hook 46 is grasped and pulled down; over-plate74 that extends over a slot 75 provided in post 10. This houses the door as seen in Figure 9.

While my principal objecthas been to develop a combination grain and outsidedoor, there is nothing in its general construction that will interfere in using it in conjunction with the usual outside door. However, if it is desired to retain the outside door and use it only as a grain door, the sealing andmounting means of the" upper door section would have to be eliminated and this section'could also be dispensed with.

I claim: v

1. In a device of the class described, in combination with a lower door section and a threshold plate, said threshold plate being angularhaving an upper and lower portion, spaced lugs provided .onthe lower portion, said lower door section carrying a reinforcing flange or lipon its lower outer face engaging behind said lugs when the door is closed to hold it snugly against the upper portion of said threshold plate, and a slot or depression provided in the lowerportion of said threshold plate whereby a bar may be used to start the'doorwhenthere is pressure against it.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination with rabbeted side posts having plates provided on their opposin'g'faces, a door comprising anupper, a central and a lower section, said central section having a flange or lip projecting down over the lower section, said sections being mounted to bear against and said lower section to slide on said plates and to swing inwardly therefrom, a plurality of hinges including leaves secured to said central section. said leaves carrying integrally projecting pins at their lower ends, ears struck from plates secured to said lower section and eyes provided in the ears to re ceive said pins for pivotally mounting the leaves to them.

3. In a device of the class described, in combination with an upper door section and a cross beam of a car, a plurality of hinges including leaves secured to said upper door section and a plurality of hinges including ears struck from angular plates secured to said cross beam, one-part of said hinges resting on said beam to take the strain off the means that connects the hinges to it, oblong eyes provided in said ears and pins extending, through said eyes for pivotally mounting said door section to said cross beam.

'4. In a device of the class described, in

combination with rabbeted side posts having plates provided on their opposing faces overlapping said rabbets, a door comprising an upper a central and a lower section each carrying a reinforcing flange on its side edges engaging over said plates and extending into the outer portion of said rabbets when the door is closed, pins provided on said reinforced flanges of said lower section adjacent their upper ends engaging in the inner por tion 01 said rabbets, plates provided on the inner faces of said side posts engaging over the inner portion of said rabbets to provide channels for said pins to slide in when this section is opened or closed, said channels terminating near the top of said side posts in involute hooks or seats to provide a means for housing said pins when this section is raised, apertures provided in said first mentioned plates for bolting said upper and central door sections thereto, and means provided near the lower edge of said lower section for connecting a flexible element to it for raising it substantially as described.

W. L. OFFICER. 

